It is always a great experience welcoming foreign diplomats to Northwest
Illinois. This afternoon I had the pleasure of hosting a group from
ZIMBABWE who were here under the auspices of the US State Dept
International Visitor Leadership Program. They were Mr. Obey Shava,
Legal Practitioner; Mr. Kenneth Mtata, Zimbabwe Council of Churches;
Loreen Sani, Combined Harare Residents Association; Claris Madhuku,
Director Platform for Youth Development; Kurai Makumbe, Chief - Zimbabwe
Human Rights Commission; Patience Zirima, Director Media Monitors;
Gerald Matiba, Director, Christian Legal Society; and Wilson Nharingo,
Director Zimbabwe Liberators Platform. After a great discussion on
managing elections, and a visit to the Lincoln Douglas Debate Site,
lunch of course at Union Dairy.

This afternoon I had the distinct honor and humbling privilege to present along with Senator Tim Bivins, Representative Tom Demmer and Congressman Adam Kinzinger - Illinois Senate Joint Resolution 34 honoring the life of Marine Lance Corporal Alec Catherwood, who at 19 years of age sacrificed his life in service to our freedom and was killed in combat in Afghanistan. To his parents, Kirk & Gretchen Catherwood and his entire family we are grateful for his honorable and faithful service to our nation.

Dixon… State Representatives Tom
Demmer (R-Dixon), Tony McCombie (R-Savanna), and Brian Stewart (R-Freeport)
urged prayers and community awareness following a brutal attack on a DCFS Child
Protective Investigator at a child welfare check on Friday, September 29th
in Carroll County.

The
three legislators offered the following statement today:

“This
tragic attack highlights the dangers faced by our child welfare officers every
day and the profound need to continue to educate communities on eliminating
violence, especially domestic violence.
Along with our fellow legislators, we offer our prayers to the family of
the DCFS Investigator, as well as to her co-workers and fellow employees who
are saving lives in Illinois’ child welfare system every day. This is terribly frightening and traumatizing
for all of our hardworking Child Protective Investigators, but this incident
shows how important their work is in protecting children from violence and
harm.”